The president of AAA Mid-Atlantic recently advocated for the elimination of existing federal programs that help build bicycle and pedestrian trails and sidewalks from the trust fund that finances transportation. These funds have helped create more than 19,000 miles of trails, walking and bicycling facilities across the country—including some in Southern California.

There are 19,872 miles of rail-trails around the country—with 9,232 more in the planning stage. Very few of these would have been built if AAA’s position had taken hold decades ago.

AAA Mid-Atlantic suggests that an $89 billion annual highway fund shortfall can be blamed on investments in walking and bicycling. But those investments total less than $1 billion annuallyand produce tremendous benefits for everyone, including drivers.

CORBA is joining with the Rails to Trails Conservancy in calling for the for the AAA to retract the statements made by the AAA Mid-Atlantic region President. We ask CORBA members and supporters to sign the Rails to Trails Conservancy petition at http://www.railstotrails.org/AAA

To prepare for that delivery, the petition will be closed at midnight on Wednesday, Dec. 8.

Thank you for having already signed the petition. We’ve asked this of you a lot lately, but since it’s so important, please forgive us: would you spread the word however you can, one last time? Just ask a friend or two to visit www.railstotrails.org/AAA.

Postscript (December 27, 2010): 51,000 people signed the petition. See the full story…